2016 — Saw action in six games and made one start...start proved memorable as he rushed 17 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-21 rout of Western Carolina...171-yard performance was the highest rushing tally by a Paladin running back in 2016...had a career high 57-yard run against the Catamounts...also had touchdown plunges against both Chattanooga and Coastal Carolina.

2015 — Registered playing time over the season’s final seven games....rushed 22 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns...scored his first touchdown on a 1-yard plunge versus Western Carolina as part of an eight-carry, 27-yard game performance...followed that up the next week with 10 rushes for 26 yards and a touchdown against Mercer, scoring a game tying touchdown on a 2-yard run with 43 seconds remaining in regulation.

2014 — Member of scout team...awarded redshirt and extra year of eligibility.

High School: 2014 graduate of West Forsyth (4A) High School...football coach was Adrian Snow...played running back...grew up in Commerce, Texas, before moving to North Carolina prior to his sophomore year...rushed 516 times for 3,462 yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons at West Forsyth...two-time all-county, All-Central Piedmont Conference, and Winston-Salem Journal All-Northwest selection...ran 248 times for 1,501 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2013, helping lead his squad to a 12-3 record, conference championship, and state playoff semi-final finish...also starred in track, earning all-region honors in the shotput, 4x100m and 4x200m in 2013.

Personal: Full name is Kealand O’Neil Dirks...born October 5, 1995, in Greenville, Texas...parents are Ricky and Barbara Dirks...has a brother, Keasean...father was a standout running back at Texas A&M-Commerce, where he was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2004...history major.